Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming tvOS 11 update designed for the fourth-generation TV, one week after seeding the fifth beta and more than two months after releasing the first beta during the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Registered developers can download tvOS 11 by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C cable and installing the beta software using iTunes.
tvOS 11 didn't receive much attention at the Worldwide Developers Conference because of time constraints, but according to Apple's release notes, it introduces a few new features to the operating system.
tvOS 11 brings automatic switching between light/dark mode based on local time, Home screen syncing options that keep multiple Apple TVs in a household in sync, new background modes and notification support, Focus API improvements, custom sound support, network-based pairing and development support, improvements to Mobile Device Management, and more.
The sixth beta of tvOS 11 most likely focuses primarily on bug fixes and other small refinements, as the first five betas did. Apple's new tvOS 11 update is available for both registered developers and public beta testers. It will see a public release later this year.
Update: The fifth public beta of tvOS 11 is now available for public beta testers.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the fifth beta and more than two months after introducing the new software at the 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference.
The sixth beta of macOS High Sierra can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air using the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.
Today's update brings a fix for a bug that caused apps to quit unexpectedly when printing to Canon printers, and it addresses an issue that caused QuickLook to preview things to force a MacBook Pro to switch to a discrete GPU (pertains to models that have both discrete and integrated GPUs).
macOS High Sierra builds on features first introduced in macOS Sierra, focusing on new storage, video, and graphics technology. It brings a new Apple File System (APFS), High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC), and an updated version of Metal with support for VR and external GPUs.
Several apps are gaining new features in macOS High Sierra. The Photos app features a new sidebar to make it easier to access editing tools and albums, and there are new filters and editing options like Curves and Selective Color. Photos also supports external editing apps like Photoshop and Pixelmator, saving changes made in those apps back to Photos, and it interfaces with new third-party printing services.
Safari is gaining speed enhancements, an option to prevent autoplay videos, and a new feature that cuts down on cross-site data tracking. Siri in macOS High Sierra has expanded music capabilities and a new, more natural voice, and Spotlight supports flight status information. There are also improvements to iCloud, FaceTime, Messages, and Notes.
macOS High Sierra is available for both registered developers and public beta testers and will see a few more weeks of testing ahead of its expected fall public release.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming watchOS 4 update to developers, one week after seeding the fifth beta and more than two months after introducing the watchOS 4 update at its 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS 4 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 4 features three new watch faces, including a dedicated Siri watch face that displays dynamic information unique to each individual and is perhaps the most significant new feature in the update. There are also new complications for Now Playing and Apple News, and an enhanced Workout app that supports High Intensity Interval Training and new swimming options.
GymKit, a new technology platform, will let the Apple Watch interface with gym equipment for workout data sharing purposes, and the Activity app will offer up intelligent coaching and tailored workout encouragement along with new monthly activity challenges.
Many other small tweaks and changes have been introduced, all of which are outlined in our dedicated watchOS 4 roundup.
watchOS 4 is only available to developers and will not be provided to public beta testers, so non-developers need to wait until the software sees an official release in the fall to try it out.
Apple today seeded the sixth beta of iOS 11 to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the fifth beta and more than two months after introducing the new update at the Worldwide Developers Conference.
Registered developers can download the sixth beta of iOS 11 from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed.
Today's beta brings a fix for an issue that caused the DirecTV app to crash on launch, but introduces a new issue that could cause Audiobus 3 to crash. Launching the App Store no longer stops other audio that's playing, several bugs with Family Sharing features have been fixed, and all phone numbers are now displayed during a multiparty conference call.
There are also fixes for Notes, addressing an issue that caused the app to malfunction when restoring from a backup where the Notes app was deleted and a problem that prevented the Apple Pencil from working when an iOS device was rotated. A new known issue prevents an AT&T data plan purchased on iPad from updating the cellular data number in Settings > General > About.
As for outward-facing changes, there are new icons for the App Store and Maps and the Reminders icon is now fixed with bullet points back on the left instead of the right. There's also no toggle to turn off Auto Brightness in the Display & Brightness section in this beta. Instead, the feature must be toggled off using in Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations. The app tray in Messages has also been tweaked with the aforementioned new App Store icon.
iOS 11 introduces several design changes, including a customizable Control Center and a new Lock screen that's been merged with the Notification Center. Peer-to-peer Apple Pay payments are coming in the Messages app, which is also gaining a new App Drawer, and there's a Do Not Disturb While Driving feature that's meant to help drivers stay focused on the road. Siri, Photos, the Camera app, and more are also gaining new features and refinements.
ARKit for developers will bring a range of new augmented reality apps and games to iOS devices, while a Core ML SDK has the potential to let developers build smarter apps. iOS 11 is also the biggest update ever for the iPad, with a new Dock that introduces much improved multitasking, a Files app for better managing files, improved Apple Pencil support, a revamped App Switcher, and a system-wide drag and drop feature.
iOS 11 is available for both registered developers and public beta testers and will see few weeks of testing ahead of a prospective September release date alongside new iPhones.
Inventec Appliances has been a rumored supplier for Apple's HomePod smart speaker since before the device was announced at WWDC in June, and now the manufacturer has indicated that supplies for HomePod might be limited at launch, in line with most Apple product launches (via Nikkei).
The news came from Inventec Appliances president David Ho during a press conference today. Although his comments never specifically mentioned "HomePod," the estimated time frame given for the release of the product -- late in 2017 -- and its description as a high-profile "smart home device," suggest it to be Apple's upcoming speaker. At WWDC, Apple confirmed that the HomePod would launch sometime in December.
Now, Ho has stated that the HomePod's contribution to the company's revenue for this year will be "fairly limited" -- which is expected given the device is launching so late in the year -- with optimistic improvements to profit gained from HomePod sales predicted for early 2018. One analyst speculated that the number of HomePod units shipped in December 2017 will be around 500,000.
“We will finally ship the smart home device this year, but its contribution will be fairly limited and hopefully that will improve next year,” Inventec Appliances President David Ho told analysts and reporters during an earnings conference.
“Inventec Appliances will likely only ship some 500,000 units of HomePod this year, and the device’s contribution to the group’s revenue will be less than 1%,” said Arthur Liao, an analyst at Taipei-based Fubon Securities.
In 2018, Apple will look to open up HomePod manufacturing to more than just Inventec Appliances, according to one of Nikkei's sources, who stated that Apple is planning to add Foxconn into the HomePod supply chain next year. This will result in Inventec Appliances and Foxconn receiving a "split" of HomePod orders and boosting production for the smart home speaker, following the limited initial launch.
Inventec Appliance's total smart home and connected devices shipments are expected to grow to between 70 and 75 million units by the end of 2017, but company officials didn't specifically break down the numbers related to the Apple products it makes.
In addition to HomePod, Inventec Appliances also manufactures Apple's AirPods, which have been particularly difficult for many users to purchase since the wireless earphones launched last December. Earlier in August, the estimated shipping date for AirPods finally lowered to four weeks from six weeks, which had been the shipping estimate for the previous eight months.
Security camera company Canary recently announced a trio of new features coming to its smart home security system and mobile apps, including two-way audio calls between a Canary camera and smartphone, a live security feed with reduced latency, and an all-new web app with live streaming.
Rolling out over the course of this week is a refreshed version of Canary's "Watch Live" feature, which "dramatically" reduces the latency of live videos being recorded by the Canary camera. The company said it's done away with a five second delay previously found in Watch Live, allowing users a "virtually real-time" look into their home while watching on an iOS or Android device.
Prior to the release of 2.7.0, you may have experienced a delay of about 5 seconds between what you saw in the Canary app and the activity that was actually occurring in an environment. With the new and improved Watch Live experience, latency has decreased, giving you a virtually real-time view into your home.
To achieve this, we completely redesigned the backend of Watch Live to prioritize real-time video delivery. By implementing a dedicated video pipeline, and adding adaptive video quality to the Watch Live experience, we were able to make Watch Live truly live.
Canary also announced a user-requested feature that enables two-way audio calls between the security camera in a home, and a user with a smartphone outside of the home. Called "Canary Talk," the company described the feature as a home intercom, allowing users to simply tap a microphone button when in Watch Live to have their voice broadcast to anyone in the vicinity of their Canary. At-home users can then respond to the call by simply talking anywhere near the Canary.
Canary Talk will be available in the new version update 2.7.0 on the company's iOS and Android apps, but will debut first in the Canary All-in-One device, then launch sometime in September for Canary Flex devices. No matter which Canary it's used on, Canary Talk will require the company's $9.99/month subscription membership.
Whether you’re using it to talk to the kids, a nanny, an aging parent, your new puppy, or to ward off an intruder, Canary Talk gives you a voice at home no matter how far from it you are.
Additionally, any Canary membership users can now stream live video and view recorded content from their camera while on a desktop or mobile browser. The company said that the introduction of its new live-streaming web app will help Canary users watch their home while they are at work, without needing to bring up their smartphone.
The 2.7.0 update for Canary is available to download now on the iOS App Store. [Direct Link]
Less than one month before Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone lineup, two videos have surfaced that may show the so-called iPhone 8 passing through the production line at a factory presumably located in China.
The videos surfaced on Chinese microblogging service Weibo earlier today, and were later uploaded to YouTube by Dutch blog TechTastic.
Both videos are short and blurry, so it's hard to make out exactly what is being shown. The production line could simply be for the multitude of iPhone 8 dummy models that have surfaced over the past few months.
Apple's contract manufacturers like Foxconn have strict security measures in place to prevent employees from bringing smartphones inside factories, so the videos could very well be completely unrelated to real iPhone 8 production.
In the first clip, factory workers appear to be polishing or cleaning the rear shell of what could be the iPhone 8. At the very least, the device appears to have a vertically-aligned camera, one of the smartphone's frequently rumored features.
In the second clip, just eight seconds long, dozens of potential iPhone 8 devices appear to be affixed to some kind of metal shelving rack.
Given the lack of real iPhone 8 part leaks, we're still stuck firmly in iPhone silly season—including infamously low-quality videos.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple will begin production verification tests for the iPhone 8 in late August, followed by mass production in mid-September, so higher-quality leaks could be on the horizon.
A collection of Apple suppliers have shared revenue reports today, which also provide a glimpse into the upcoming "peak" iPhone and Apple Watch manufacturing season. Starting off, Foxconn looked back at its profits in July and reported consolidated revenues of NT$315.06 billion (US$10.62 billion) for the month, which marks an increase of 7.53 percent year-on-year. For the first seven months of 2017, Foxconn's combined revenues were NT$2.2 trillion, increasing by 1.64 percent year-on-year (via DigiTimes).
Those watching Foxconn's revenue report are now expecting the October-December period to be the "peak of 2017" for the company, thanks to its status as one of Apple's biggest suppliers and the launch of the iPhone 8 sometime in September. Foxconn's revenue will increase "gradually" in August, according to market watchers, and will continue until the end of the year. Holiday spending traditionally helps increase Apple and its suppliers' revenue, even boosting Foxconn's December period in 2016 in the face of an overall year that saw its first-ever profit decline.
Some market watchers expect Foxconn's revenues to increase gradually beginning August and the growth will last until the end of 2017 with the fourth quarter being the peak of 2017 for Foxconn.
Apple Watch supplier Quanta Computer announced revenues for the second quarter of 2017 at NT$235.37 billion (US$7.93 billion), growing 3.3 percent from the previous quarter and 13.3 percent from the year-ago quarter. Today's report stated that next-generation Apple Watch shipments will begin in the fourth quarter, gradually increasing Quanta's financial performance in the second half of 2017 -- a sentiment that's been shared in previous supply chain reports due to Quanta's status as the sole supplier of the "Apple Watch Series 3."
With the notebook market entering the traditional peak season, its server shipments expected to enjoy growth and the next-generation Apple Watch set to begin shipments in the fourth quarter, some market watchers expect Quanta's financial performances to gradually pick up in the second half of 2017.
In other supply chain ramp-up stories, TSMC has entered mass production on the iPhone 8's A11 chip in the third quarter of 2017. The next-generation chip is being crafted with a new 10-nanometer FinFET process, and originally began production back in May after a month-long delay. TSMC is also using its 10nm manufacturing process to build the new iPad Pro's A10X processors, and it's predicted the A11 processors will also find their way into the "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus."
In addition, TSMC has already started mass production of 10nm FinFET chips in the third quarter, driven by Apple's orders, the report indicated. TSMC's 10nm FinFET process has been adopted by Apple for its A10X processors for use in its 10.5- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets and A11 chips that will power the upcoming iPhones.
There have been numerous reports from Apple's supply chain in recent weeks, timed ahead of the rumored announcement of the iPhone 8 in September. These include a report centered on Lumentum and "massive" orders it has received for components related to its vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Such technology is believed to be for the advanced camera and 3D sensing features of the iPhone 8.
Last week, all three new iPhones were reportedly entering volume production, and Samsung Display began gearing up to operate seven of its next-generation OLED lines at full capacity earlier this month, all aimed at the iPhone 8. In terms of the main suppliers for Apple's next-generation OLED smartphone, Foxconn, Pegatron, and Wistron are predicted to hit a sales high in the period running from September to November of this year, due to shipments of finished iPhones that will "start gaining momentum" as soon as this month.
U.K. smart home solutions provider LightwaveRF announced on Monday that its forthcoming product range, which includes a light dimmer and smart socket, will be fully compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform.
On October 3, LightwaveRF will launch its new Generation 2 Link Plus smart hub, Smart Dimmers, Smart Sockets, and a Smart Radiator Valve. The Link Plus connects to a Wi-Fi router and controls the LightwaveRF smart home system for lighting, heating, power and security.
"This is a further exciting development for LightwaveRF," said chief executive officer Andrew Pearson. "We look forward to working with Apple as a HomeKit technical partner and a supplier to its retail outlets. The exposure and awareness from this partnership should enhance our market visibility and greatly benefit our customers via easier management of their smart home solutions. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Apple as we launch further HomeKit compatible devices for both the UK and international markets."
The new LightwaveRF range is said to be the result of a two-year research and development program, with new features of the system including built-in energy monitoring, color-changing LEDs to indicate status, and wire-free two-way switching.
The new range will be sold in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates through Apple retail stores, online via Apple.com, and other chosen retail outlets.
Earlier this month, dummy model images began circulating on Chinese microblogging site Weibo that suggested Apple's "iPhone 8" would be available in three colors, including black, white, and an option referred to as "champagne gold" which was said to be closer to a copper color than the rose gold iPhones currently available.
Over the weekend, mobile leaker Benjamin Geskin shared information in a Twitter post from an alleged Foxconn insider, claiming that the internal name of the new iPhone 8 color is "Blush Gold".
In addition to the new color name, the post appears to suggest that the "Blush Gold" color will only come in 64GB and 128GB storage capacities. Currently, Apple offers the iPhone 7 in black, silver, gold, and rose gold, all in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities, and limits its jet black option to 128GB and 256GB capacities, so the idea that the company wouldn't offer the new color in a 256GB capacity seems unlikely.
Last Tuesday, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said all of Apple's upcoming 2017 iPhones would be available in black, silver, and gold, but he made no specific mention of the copper-like color, which began appearing in several videos of dummy iPhone 8 models following the original Weibo post. The potential colors that the OLED iPhone will come in has become more of a talking point since references in the HomePod firmware seemingly confirmed that Apple's radical redesign would be almost bezel-free with a notch at the top for camera components.
The current consensus is that such a design would look best in black, because it would offer a more seamless visual blending of the notch and bezel with the OLED display, especially when the screen is turned off. While the "Blush Gold" render above has a black front, the copper-like back has apparently divided observers, with detractors referring to it as the "Zune option", harking back to Microsoft's brown music player of old. Previously Geskin has claimed that Apple will make the OLED iPhone 8 available in four colors, with a "mirror" shade as a new option, so nothing on the subject is quite yet confirmed.
While the recently released HomePod firmware appears to make no reference to iPhone 8 colors, it has provided information on a range of other details, including the general design of the new phone and advanced facial recognition features. Apple is expected to announce its new iPhone line-up next month.
Apple Maps has been updated with transit data in Hungary, enabling iPhone users to navigate with public transportation directions in Budapest, Debrecen, Szeged, Miskolc, Győr, Pécs, and other regions of the country.
MÁV-START trains are also supported throughout Hungary for long-distance routes, such as between Budapest and Debrecen.
Apple Maps gained a Transit tab in iOS 9. The feature lags several years behind Google Maps, but Apple's public transportation support is exhaustive, mapping all station entrances and listing departure times. Apple Maps also provides detailed advisories about service interruptions and other changes.
At launch, the feature was limited to Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and over 300 cities in China. Since then, Apple has been working to expand support for public transportation to other cities around the world.
For a regularly updated list of cities with Apple Maps transit, visit the iOS Feature Availability page on Apple's website.
Fast Company published a report this week exploring why third-party accessories that make use of Apple's Smart Connector remain few and far between, almost two years after the connector first debuted on the iPad Pro. The magnetic Smart Connector allows the iPad Pro to communicate with and power compatible accessories, like the company's own Smart Keyboard, without the hassle of wires.
The first supporting third-party accessory, Logitech's Create Smart Connector keyboard, launched the same day as the iPad Pro in late 2015, shortly followed by the Logitech charging base, and more recently a Logitech keyboard for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. However, this close partnership between Apple and Logitech is one of the reasons for the dearth of Smart Connector accessories from competing vendors, according to the report.
"With an iPad Pro keyboard on the market already, we are evaluating the market's appetite for another iPad Pro keyboard and identifying if there are any gaps that we can fill," a spokeswoman for Incipio told Fast Company. "So we are developing with having a point of difference in mind rather than developing to be quick to market."
Other issues are said to relate to procuring Smart Connector components, with manufacturers reporting longer lead times compared to other accessories, making them time- and cost-prohibitive. "For a business like us, we've got a very rapid product development cycle," said one vendor source, who asked to remain anonymous. "When you've got a long lead time component that's close to six months, that's just not tenable."
Logitech Create Smart Keyboard
Meanwhile, some accessory makers simply preferred Bluetooth as a better fit, especially for iPad keyboards, with more room for maneuver in terms of accessory design. For instance, the Smart Connector only works with keyboards in landscape mode, whereas some users prefer to type in portrait orientation. The issue of Bluetooth battery life has also been minimized, with smaller batteries now lasting for months rather than weeks.
There are only four Smart Connector accessories currently on the market – three offered by Logitech, one by Apple. Fast Company was told by Apple that multiple companies are now developing Smart Connector accessories, but going on this report, iPad Pro owners looking to further exploit the potential of Apple's proprietary connector could be in for some wait yet.
As the launch of Apple's "iPhone 8" approaches, we've seen multiple images and dummy models outlining what the device will look like, but non-functional dummy devices don't include software and don't offer a complete picture of what we can expect.
Designer Maksim Petriv has mocked up several iPhone 8 images that take into account current rumors to demonstrate what iOS 11 might look like on the new device.
Rumors and leaked firmware information suggest the iPhone 8 includes both a top notch that houses the front-facing camera and sensors for a facial recognition system and a function area with a virtual Home button, both of which are imagined in Petriv's images.
Petriv's photos include status bar information located at the top of the device on either side of the notch, and a small Home button area at the bottom. We're not yet sure what Apple plans to do with that area of the iPhone 8, but we do know that it's resizable, can be hidden, and does not appear to include app UI elements, meaning it's simple.
The renderings made by Petriv demonstrated the Lock screen and App Store, along with popular apps Netflix and Spotify.
Apple's HomePod firmware has suggested the status bar information like signal strength, carrier info, and battery life will be split and displayed in the area near the sensors/camera, with Petriv also imagining three ways Apple could display status bar information. Apple's own firmware image leak points towards the third option and suggests the company will fully embrace the notch rather than hiding it through software.
It's not quite clear what design solution Apple will use, but these images do give us some idea of what apps will look like on an edge-to-edge display with almost no bezels and with a cutout for the front-facing camera and sensors.
Apple typically unveils new iPhones in early September, so we are just weeks away from getting our first glimpse at the iPhone 8 and its companion devices, the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 7s Plus. For a deeper look at what to expect from the upcoming iPhones, make sure to check out our iPhone 8 roundup.
Apple is accepting donations to the Canadian Red Cross through iTunes to help people affected by ongoing wildfires in British Columbia. The province declared a state of emergency in July.
iTunes users in Canada can donate $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or $200 with a credit card tied to their account. Apple will transfer 100 percent of the proceeds to the Canadian Red Cross, which is providing relief efforts for the wildfires.
As of August 6, the BC Wildfire Service said 132 wildfires were currently burning in the province, with a total of 900 wildfires since April 1. As of August 9, over 3,600 personnel were working to fight the fires, which have forced some residents to evacuate due to dangerous conditions, including poor air quality.
Apple says iTunes credit cannot be used to make a donation. The fine print also says donations may not qualify for a tax deduction.
Kicking off this week in iOS gaming was an appearance I made on the Australian games podcast, GameHugs. It's an industry-centric podcast that explores the backstory of web sites and studios in the world of video games (and often mobile games). On the most recent episode, I get into what goes on behind the scenes running a site like TouchArcade, as well as the odd chain of events that led me to TouchArcade — including, but not limited to, getting banned from the MacRumors forums. It's a fun story, but if that's not your cup of tea, as usual there are always tons of other things going on in the world of iOS games.
I've mentioned it in previous roundups, but things are starting to get real when it comes to the impending release of iOS 11 and with it, what we've been calling the 32-bit app-pocalypse. We started casually compiling a list of our favorite games that have yet to be updated, which grew into this gargantuan article filled with some amazing titles that likely aren't going to work in the future. It's worth skimming through, as if you've been buying iOS games for a few years now I'd be really surprised if you didn't own at least one of the games on the list. It might be worth one last play through before iOS 11 steamrolls everything next month.
Hi Shaun, this week’s release will feature an updated emulator core with new features. This will be rolled out to other releases soon.
— SEGA Forever (@SEGAForever) August 7, 2017
We've been giving Sega a pretty hard time surrounding the launch of the "Sega Forever" lineup of free with one-time unlock classic emulated games, as most of the re-released titles perform worse than the first time they hit the App Store, back in 2009. This week, they released Ristar, which as mentioned in the tweet above includes a new emulation engine. This new engine is loads better than the one used in the rest of the Sega Forever lineup, making Ristar a game worth checking out just to experience the difference. Hopefully Sega quickly updates the rest of its library with the updated emulator.
If you've got kids who are into Minecraft either on the Mac, or Minecraft: Pocket Edition, chances are you've heard about Minecon. If not, it's an event Mojang puts on that is the place to be if you even remotely care about the game. It features meetups, developer Q&A, and other things along those lines. The problem is, Minecraft is a very inclusive game and an expensive conference with a limited number of tickets is fairly exclusive. In the future, they're shifting the event to be focused around livestreaming and interactive community events that everyone, not just people at Minecon, can participate in. This seems like a really cool move. Watch the video above for way more details.
In regards to games to look forward to, one title we're super stoked for is Darkest Dungeon coming to iPad. We've known it's been in the works for a while, but now we have a release date: August 29. Darkest Dungeon is an award-winning RPG that currently is only available on Steam. The iPad port is going to have a really cool feature: totally cross-platform Dropbox save syncing. I'm always a huge fan of this sort of thing, and really wish more developers took the time to implement it — particularly when porting games like this.
The International is taking place this week, which is basically the DOTA 2 equivalent of the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl being sandwiched together into one massive week long event. Between games, they announced that they were going to reveal a game Valve has been working on. Valve fans have been dying for Half Life 3 (or Portal 3, or any other sequel) for years now, and many thought this would be it. What they ended up revealing is a likely free to play fantasy collectable card game called Artifact. The crowd reaction was incredible:
While I'm sure Artifact will do very well, particularly if they tie in the Steam Marketplace, yet another digital collectable card game is close to the most boring thing Valve could have announced. Regardless, with these kinds of games the key is to get as many people as possible playing them. Platforms have yet to be announced, but it really wouldn't surprise me at all if Artifact came to both Mac and mobile. Whatever it's going to be on, it won't be released until next year.
When it comes to to digital collectable card games you can actually play right now on both Mac and iOS, Hearthstone's new expansion launched this week. Aside from loads of new cards, Knights of the Frozen Throne also features some really cool single player content. Blizzard is releasing new missions each week until players finally face off against the Lich King himself. Oh, and per the above video, the Lich King is really into reading mean tweets.
Last, but not least, is a puzzling lawsuit by Gamevice. If you haven't heard of them, they make some pretty cool MFi controller accessories that you stick your iPhone or iPad in to play them in a form factor that's pretty close to the Nintendo Switch. In the eyes of Gamevice, a little too close to the Nintendo Switch, which is why they're taking them to court for patent infringement. If Gamevice is successful in their lawsuit, they could put a stop to Nintendo Switch sales all together. It seems unlikely, but as a spectator sport, watching these patent cases evolve is always interesting.
That's it for this week in iOS gaming, but as always if you enjoy these sorts of things be sure to check out TouchArcade. We review tons of games, post way more news like this, and have a weekly podcast that's also a great way to keep up in the world of iOS games.
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Satechi to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win one of Satechi's Aluminum Type-C Pro Hub Adapters, designed for Apple's 2016 and 2017 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models. With these machines, a hub is a must because of the limited number of ports and the lack of USB-A.
Satechi's Pro Hub measures in at 4.5 inches long and 1.1 inches wide, and it plugs right into the side of a MacBook Pro, using two USB-C ports on either the left or right side (or just the one side on 13-inch non Touch Bar models).
Made of aluminum and available in either Silver or Space Gray, the hub matches well with the MacBook Pro, and at just 1.4 ounces, it's super portable and can even travel plugged right into your machine.
The Pro Hub features an HDMI port that supports 1080p video at 60Hz (4K at 30Hz), two USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and microSD card slot. The USB-C power delivery port supports 5K video (or 2x4K), 40Gb/s data transfer speeds, and passthrough charging up to 87W, so it works with all USB-C MacBook Pro models. The second USB-C port does not support passthrough charging, but offers data transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s.
Satechi sells the Pro Hub for $99, but we have three to give away to MacRumors readers for free. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (August 11) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 18. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 18 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Apple Hilldale's grand opening will take place Saturday, August 12 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple West Towne will permanently close tonight.
West Towne Mall has been home to Madison's only Apple retail store since July 2007. Apple's two other retail stores in Wisconsin are located in the Milwaukee suburbs of Glendale and Wauwatosa.
The new Hilldale store will be much larger than the West Towne location, a welcomed change for both employees and customers. The store should also feature Apple's newer retail design introduced in 2015.
Apple's financial chief Luca Maestri recently said Apple collectively welcomed over 300 million visitors to its retail stores last quarter.
"It was a very busy quarter for our online and retail stores, which collectively welcomed over 300 million visitors," he said. "In addition to our spectacular new store at the Dubai Mall, we opened our first stores in Singapore and in Taiwan during the quarter, expanding our total store footprint to 497 stores."
"In May, we kicked off Today at Apple, with new in-store programming from music to photography to art and coding, and our stores collectively hosted 87,000 sessions during the quarter," he added. "We have entered a new chapter in retail, with unique and rewarding experiences for our customers."
For some vehicles, when an iPhone is plugged into the car's USB port music playback begins automatically, and it always starts in alphabetical order at the top of the user's iTunes library. Because of this, many users will hear the same song, usually beginning with an "A," over and over again each time they plug their iPhone into their car. This week, a potential solution to that problem has been soaring up the iTunes charts in the form of a ten-minute silent song called "A a a a a Very Good Song" [Direct Link].
Created by Samir Mezrahi, the song allows users a full nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds to find the song they actually want to hear after connecting their iPhone to their car through USB. Mezrahi is charging $0.99 for each download of the music-less track, although Apple Music subscribers can simply add the song into their library for free.
A a a a a Very Good Song launched on iTunes on Wednesday, August 9, and as of the writing of this article it sits at #46 on iTunes' Top Songs chart. The song has climbed 21 spots in under a day, when Engadget reported that it was at #67 early on August 10. If it continues to climb, the song will surpass artists like Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, and Miley Cyrus.
For any CarPlay users, or for those who connect to their vehicle through Bluetooth, the automatic iTunes playback phenomenon is not as much of an issue. For those who do face the problem, it's been discovered within a wide array of different brands and car systems. As one Redditor pointed out, for users who don't have an Apple Music subscription and who would prefer not to pay $0.99 for a ten-minute silent track, they can also make a silent recording of their own and add it to iTunes.
